Bush makes rare speech, saying he doesn’t miss being president

Former President George W. Bush addresses attendees at the Bush Center Freedom Collection event Wednesday, March 28, 2012, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Former President George W. Bush made a rare appearance today in New York City where he told an audience he something they hadn’t heard about the Bush tax cuts, according to Politico:

“I wish they weren’t called the Bush tax cuts,” the former president said as he kicked off the Bush Institute Conference on Taxes and Economic Growth in New York City. “If they’re called some other body’s tax cuts, they’re probably less likely to be raised.”

Meanwhile, the former president also said that he doesn’t miss his old job.

“I’m often asked ‘Do you miss the presidency?’ I really don’t.” Bush said. “I have decided to stay out of the limelight. I had plenty of the limelight,” he said. “I enjoyed it. It was unbelievably interesting experience.”

The Bush Center’s 4% growth initiative is aimed at finding ways to achieve sustainable, annual growth of 4%, well ahead of the present rate, in large part by focusing on taxes, Forbes.com reports.

Growing the public sector is easy, Bush said, “just raise taxes.” Supporting private-sector growth is more challenging the former commander-in-chief said, and requires leaving more capital in the hands of job creators.

… “Much of the public debate is about our balance sheet…or entitlements,” Bush said, but the solution in his view is to focus on private sector growth. ”The pie grows, the debt relative to the pie shrinks and with fiscal discipline you can solve your deficits,” Bush said.